


Two Sides of A Coin

by TriskelionAngels



Category: Merlin (TV), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Knight Lydia Martin, M/M, Merlin AU, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Minor Laura Hale/Lydia Martin, Prince Derek Hale, Queen Talia Hale, Royal Hales
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:21:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25161550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriskelionAngels/pseuds/TriskelionAngels
Summary: "Colors.That was the first thing Stiles noticed as he walked into the kingdom of Beacon for the first time."Here's a Sterek Merlin AU that absolutely no one asked for which follows Stiles as the bumbling manservant of Prince Derek Hale, who is just his normal happy and joyful self, and all of the trials and tribulations Stiles has to go through to get Derek to the throne as relatively unharmed as possible.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 7
Kudos: 109





	Two Sides of A Coin

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. It's been a while since I've been back here huh? I wrote this months ago and I'm not sure yet when (or even if) I will be coming back to it but I wanted to get this first chapter out anyway. Who knows, if I get enough kudos/comments maybe it will help me feel more motivated. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this it is definitely the longest single chapter I've ever written.

Colors.

That was the first thing Stiles noticed as he walked into the kingdom of Beacon for the first time. Growing up in a small village where everyone was too busy trying to survive, the world that he was used to was quite grey. Beacon, if anything, was the complete opposite.

People were walking around without a care in the world, conversing with each other and genuinely seeming like nothing was wrong in their lives. Stiles, who has only been in this beautiful and vibrant kingdom for even less than a minute, felt like he finally had a place where he could truly call home.

Even though he spent 17 whole years in one place, he never felt as if he belonged there. The other villagers of Caerleon shunned him as the spazzy child who disrupted their everyday lives. If it wasn’t for his father being the unofficial chief of police of the town, he does not doubt that he would have been driven out of town way before his father decided to ship him off the live in Beacon and work under the tutelage of the official court physician, and John’s old friend, Alan Deaton. 

Other than his father and his only friend back home, Heather, he doesn’t believe anyone was sad to see him go.

Stiles let himself be distracted by the hustle and bustle of the kingdom for another second before he realized he should probably find someone so they could direct him to the physician’s quarters. 

He couldn’t help but notice that there was a crowd forming a little way in front of him, though he could not see what exactly this crowd was looking at. Moving closer, excusing himself along the way, he caught a glimpse of a man in chains being led out of the castle with two guards on either side of him. 

As he moves further into the crowd he sees everyone is surrounding a pyre, on which the man was now being dragged upon. 

Stiles looked upon the crowd, trying to gauge their reactions. Most didn’t seem too bothered at all, as if this was a natural occurrence that happened often enough that they weren’t fazed anymore.

Stiles chanced a glance up and noticed that there was a man standing on the balcony, calmly observing the goings-on below him. 

When the prisoner was tied to pyre the man upon the balcony opened his mouth and spoke, “This man has been tried and found guilty of using sorcery in an attempt to harm a member of the royal family. For this his punishment is death. Any last words?”

The prisoner struggled with his restraints, almost seething in anger.

“You are the evil but it is I that is about to be burned! You accuse me of using magic to harm someone, magic is not evil! You will regret this day!” 

The man upon the balcony, Stiles noticed, has already lost interest in the proceedings making it quite obvious that he was unaffected by the other man’s words. 

He raised his hand and lowered it swiftly, and the guards took that as a signal to light the pyre on fire. After giving the signal the man doesn’t waste a second before turning and going back inside. 

Deciding that he had finally seen enough, Stiles broke through the crowd and continued on, but not before he heard a woman wailing over what Stiles assumed to be her now-deceased son.

Being as clumsy as he is as soon as he breaks off from the crowd he fully runs into someone, accidentally knocking their things out of their hands. 

As he scrambles to pick up the other persons’ belongings, a clothes basket with a few articles of clothing in it, he takes notice of exactly who he bumped into. 

The stranger is a young woman, probably close in age to Stiles with long brown hair and a modest dress on. To Stiles, she looks as beautiful as a princess. 

“I’m so sorry, I promise I’m not usually so clumsy.” Stiles says, handing the basket back to her. 

The girl smiles at him, graciously taking the basket back, “It’s not completely your fault, I wasn’t watching where I was going either.” 

She looks at him curiously, with a shy smile on her face.

“I haven’t seen you around Beacon before. Of course, the kingdom is a big place and I don’t know everyone who lives here but something tells me you are hard to miss even in a large crowd.” 

Stiles smiles sheepishly, running his hand through his hair, “Is it that obvious? I thought I would have just a smidge of a chance of fitting it here.” 

She must notice his apparent distress as he rushes to assure him.

“No, I don't mean that in a bad way. It’s just people from around here have a certain look to them that you don’t fit. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just-”. 

She cuts herself off before sticking her free hand out.

“Before I talk myself into circles I should probably introduce myself, Allison Argent. I am the maidservant of Princess Laura and the town’s blacksmith daughter.” 

Stiles grins before taking her offered hand into his own. “My real name is unpronounceable so I’ll just save you the trouble so you can call me Stiles.” 

Allison gave his hand a shake before letting go. “Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Stiles.” 

Stiles gives her a subtle wink before he lightly shakes his head. 

“Trust me the pleasure is all mine. A maid you say? I would have said you are a princess.”

Allison ducks her head and a blush appears on her cheeks. 

“You are very kind. Not many people would share your sentiment.” 

Stiles shakes his head, this time a bit aggressively.

“Well, they’re fools if they can’t see it. I promise I’m not making a pass at you or anything, just think it’s important that you see your own beauty.” 

Allison offers him a smile-worthy of a princess. “Well thank you, Stiles, your words are much appreciated.” 

He tries and fails to match her grin as it dawns on him that she could probably give him a few answers to the questions he has. 

“Allison, do you know what all of this commotion was about, what happened to lead to that man’s death?” 

Allison glanced around her, almost as to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation.

“The man was supposedly caught trying to place an enchanted object of some sort in Princess Cora’s chambers by one of the servants. No one saw him but the servant, but I guess that was enough for Peter to give his judgment.”

“Peter?” Stiles questioned.

“The queen’s brother. Ever since King Andrew died Queen Talia has given more responsibilities to her brother, which includes trying supposed criminals.”

Stiles couldn’t help but catch who she emphasized the word ‘supposed’. “So you think that the man was innocent?” 

This time it was Allison’s turn to look sheepish, “I don’t know what to think. Not that I go against Peter’s decisions the whole situation is just odd.” 

Stiles finally mustered up enough courage to ask the true question he wanted to be answered, “I thought magic was legal in Beacon, though that man was killed for being a sorcerer?” 

Before Allison answered she grabbed his wrist and led him to a tiny alcove in between two houses as if she wanted absolutely no one to hear their conversation. 

“It’s true magic isn’t banned outright but it might as well be by the way most of the citizens act towards those who have it. There was a time close to 10 years ago where magic flourished in Beacon, but when two sorceresses killed 20 people, including the king, people stopped trusting magic users almost entirely. If Peter had his way all people who were even suspected to have magic would be rounded up and slaughtered. Thankfully Queen Talia is the one in charge.”

For the first time since arriving Stiles felt that maybe Beacon maybe wasn’t all that he dreamed it would be. 

Before Allison would be able to see his evident discomfort he quickly swallowed before asking, “Is there any chance you would know where Alan Deaton’s chambers are?”

After dutifully following Allison’s directions Stiles comes across a nondescript door and after a slight moment of hesitation pushes it open.

Looking around the room he sees books, papers, bottles, and vials littered around the room covering almost every surface. What he doesn’t see however is another person.

“Hello? Deaton? Are you in here?”

He gets no response in return.

Seemingly accepting that he’s the only person in the room he begins to walk around, taking in his surroundings in much greater detail. 

He picks up a bottle filled with black liquid, racking his mind on what this could possibly be used for. He tips the bottle upside down to check if it is labeled, and as he does so he loses his grip and the bottle shatters as it makes an impact with the floor.

Almost on instinct, he reaches his arm out and his eyes flash gold.

He watches as, almost in reverse, the bottle rises up from the floor as it pieces itself back together before landing back on the table as if it was never broken in the first place.

“That was quite impressive, Mieczysław.”

Stiles whips around, narrowly missing something else to knock off the table.

“What-?”

The man, who Stiles must assume is Deaton, holds up his hand, and Stiles snaps his mouth shut.

“Your father told me that you were getting better control over your magic as the years continued on, I’m glad to see that is the case.”

Stiles’s mood shifts from shock to confused.

“My father told you about my magic?”

Deaton looks at him in a way that Stiles is convinced that he can see into Stiles’s soul and know exactly what he is thinking, which unnerves Stiles to his core.

“Of course he did, there is a reason that your father chose to send you to me, Mieczysław. It’s not because he sees your potential on becoming my successor as court physician.”

Stiles, for once, is truly at a loss for words.

After a few moments, he finally finds the ability to open his mouth.

“Why do you keep calling me Mieczysław?”

Deaton spares him a glance before walking around the table, picking up the bottle that Stiles had dropped previously and eyes it carefully.

“That is your name, is it not?”

Stiles shrugs.

“I mean yeah, but no one calls me that. Not even my dad calls me that.”

Deaton is seemingly finished with examining the contents of the bottle as he puts it down.

“Ah yes I forgot, ‘Stiles’ is it, what a peculiar choice of name.”

Before Stiles can defend his preferred name Deaton picks up another bottle and hands it to him.  
“What’s this?”

“Princess Laura has been suffering from nightmares for some time. To help combat them, I make her a dreamless sleep tonic for her every night.”

Stiles eyes the bottle warily.

“Ok, but why did you give it to me?”

“I want you to go deliver it to her.”

This confuses Stiles even more.

“You want me to-why?”

Deaton, it seems, has already lost interest in the conversation, as he moves to the tall bookshelf in the corner and traces his finger over the titles, seemingly looking for a specific book. Once he seems to have found it, he takes it out and opens it, fully turning his back on Stiles.

“She expects it soon and I have other matters that require my immediate attention. I’m sure you can find someone to lead you to her chambers.”

Stiles, now feeling absolutely baffled, opens his mouth to protest more but closes it when it becomes evident that Deaton is officially done with talking for the time being.

As he turns to leave, Deaton calls out to him.

“I’m sure I don’t have to remind you to keep your gift as discreet as possible; do I, Mieczysław?”

Stiles swallows and turns back.  
“No.”

Deaton gives him a nod in acknowledgment before turning back to his book.

Taking that as his cue to leave, Stiles opens the door and steps out.

As Stiles wanders aimlessly, very obviously lost, around the castle it doesn’t take long for a servant to take pity on him. After getting directions from the serving girl and thanking her profusely, he heads in the onwards to Princess Laura’s chambers, which happened to be on the other side of the castle.

Not wanting to keep the Princess waiting Stiles decides to sprint the rest of the way.

Upon arriving at her door, he takes a second to dry heave as he struggles to get his bearings. 

Deciding to run across the castle had not been one of his greater decisions.

After almost heaving up a lung, he finally finds the strength to raise one of his arms, with great difficulty mind you, and knock on the door.

No answer.

Stiles decides to try again, this time he speaks.

“Princess Laura, Deaton told me to deliver this potion to you.”

Still no answer.

Stiles pauses for a moment, weighing his options.

On one hand, he can take the potion back to Deaton, saying that the princess was out of her room and have Deaton try to give her the potion later.

However, not wanting his impromptu exercise to be for naught, he decides that entering the room and leaving it in there is the best choice. He doesn’t have a quill or piece of paper to leave her a note but he rationalizes that if she is to be expecting it she would know what it is by sight alone.

At peace with his decision, he pushes the door open.

Almost immediately he is grabbed by the front of his shirt and pushed up against a wall.

“What the f-?”

“Who are you? Why are you breaking into Laura’s chambers?”

Stiles takes in who exactly is holding him against and even though he is terrified, he’s not scared enough to not admit that he likes what he sees.

A man with hazel eyes and stubble on his chin, and while Stiles can’t see underneath his clothes he’s willing to bet anything that rippling muscles are beneath it.

The man is gorgeous, it’s just a slight issue that the man is also pinning Stiles to a flat surface.  
Apparently Stiles's lack of answer seems to aggravate him that much more.

“Did you hear me? Answer the question!”

Stiles pulls himself away from examining his face and realizes that he better start talking sooner or he might not like his fate.

“My name is Stiles, Deaton’s new apprentice. He told me to deliver this potion to Princess Laura. When no one answered, I decided to leave the potion on her dresser and leave. That’s all.”

The man doesn’t seem too convinced.  
“How do I know that you’re not lying? For all I know you could have intercepted it from a servant and laced it with poison.”

Stiles can’t help but laugh a little.

“Yeah, you are definitely giving me too much credit if you think that I’m even capable of coming up with a plan like that.”

Apparently the man did not appreciate Stiles trying to make light of the situation as he pushed him further into the wall.

“I really don’t think you are in a position to make jokes at the Prince’s expense.”

Well of all of the ways he was expecting the conversation to go, that certainly was not one of them.

“Prince?”

Before he could answer Stiles’s question a cough was heard near the doorway.

Stiles moved his head towards the door, a flush making its way onto his face.

He knows just by looking at her that this is Princess Laura, who currently seems a bit amused at the situation unfolding in front of her.

“While I’m happy you found someone to romance, Derek, I would appreciate it if you did so in your own chambers.”

The prince, or ‘Derek’ Stiles supposes, lets go of Stiles and is across the room in an instant.

“That is not at all what is happening here! He was breaking into your chambers!”

“I already told you I wasn’t, I mean I was...technically. But it was just to leave this here and go!”

As he says this, he gestures to potion Deaton gave him.

Derek crosses his arms and rolls his eyes.

“A likely story.”

Laura, putting her hands on her waist, looks unperturbed.

“Children, children. If we are quite finished here. I have a feast to get ready for, so if you don’t mind, take your flirting somewhere else.”

Derek sighs angrily and exits the room swiftly, pushing past his sister and Allison, who Stiles just now noticed was behind her mistress this entire time.

Allison gives him her famous smile as if to assure him that unlike her brother, Laura is not going to push him into a wall anytime soon.

“You didn’t mention your name?”

Stiles snaps his attention back to Laura.  
“I’m sorry?”

Laura rolls her eyes but smiles quite fondly.

“Your name; if Deaton is sending you to give me my sleeping draught, I thought it’s only appropriate if I knew your name.”

“Oh, uh. It’s Stiles.”

Laura, like anyone else when Stiles tells them his preferred name, seems confused.  
“Stiles? That’s certainly an odd name.”

He shrugs.  
“You’re the third person today who has said that, surprisingly enough.”

This earns a quiet laugh from Laura.  
“Well with a name like that you can’t be too surprised.”

She moves further into the room and stops when she is directly in front of him.  
“So you have something for me, it seems.”

It takes him a second to realize what she is talking about before he scrambles in his pocket for the potion.

“Oh yes, of course. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

He holds at the potion and she gently takes it from his hand.

“I think ‘Laura’ will do just fine, you are in my chambers after all.”

If he didn’t know any better, he wouldn’t think Laura and Derek even knew each other let alone were siblings. Their personalities are as different as night and day.

Before he gets a chance to respond Laura continues.

“I’m sorry about my brother, he sometimes lacks what shall we call it, ‘people skills’”

Stiles lets out a shocked laugh.

“That’s certainly one way to phrase it.”

Laura lets out a laugh herself.

“Well it was lovely to meet you Stiles but I wasn’t lying when I said I had a feast to prepare for, so if you don’t mind.”

Stiles moves into action.

“Of course, of course.”

As he moves towards the door and hand reaches out to grab his arm.

“I’m sure we will be seeing a lot of each other, Stiles. Be sure to give Deaton my thanks.”

Laura lets go and move towards her wardrobe. Allison moves after her, but not before placing a gentle hand on Stiles’s shoulder.

Stiles smiles happily before seeing himself out.

After leaving Laura’s chambers Stiles begins making his way back to Deaton.

On his way back he realizes he could have saved all that trouble running around the castle if he would have taken a right instead of a left outside Deaton’s chambers.

Upon entering, he sees Deaton sitting at his work table carefully measuring out the liquid into a vial.

“Did you give Princess Laura her night tonic?”

Stiles rolls his eyes and lets out a slight huff.

“I did, not before I was shoved rather aggressively against a wall by Laura’s personal guard dog.”

Deaton, who still hasn’t looked up at Stiles, smirks a bit.

“So it seems you have met Derek.”

Stiles, at hearing his name, lets out a groan.

“Unfortunately. Does he always make such a marvelous first impression or am I just special?”

Deaton finally puts his vial down and gives Stiles his full attention.

“Tell me what exactly happened.”

Stiles takes a seat across from Deaton at the table and lets out a sigh.

“I knocked on Laura’s door and there was no answer so I decided to open the door and leave it on the first flat surface I saw then leave. Before I can do that, however, I was grabbed and held against a wall by a lunatic. Or should I say a ‘royal’ lunatic.”

“So you broke into her chambers.”

Stiles shot him an offended look and scoffed.

“I wasn’t like I was gonna do anything other than putting the potion down and go.”

Deaton raises his eyebrow, in a way that Stiles knows he’s unimpressed.

“I think you must agree that breaking into his sister’s chambers probably wasn’t the best first impression Derek got of you either.”

Stiles rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, looking not unlike a petulant child.

Before Stiles can even think of a witty retort Deaton cuts him off.

“You know Mieczysław, though your first impression of each other was not ideal something tells me that the two of you will grow to be great friends. Who knows, maybe you could become one of his closest advisors when he becomes king.”

Stiles sputtered, pushing away from the table and standing up.

“Yeah, I highly doubt that. The less I see of him the better.”

Deaton simply smirked at him, as if he was privy to information that Stiles was not.

“And what do you mean when HE becomes king? I thought Laura was the oldest.”

Deaton leaves his place at the table, going over to the bookshelf once more.

“While Princess Laura is the oldest it has always been the tradition in Beacon that the crown passes down to the firstborn son. Like his father before him, when Talia either passes away or willingly steps down from the throne.”

Somehow, Deaton’s words did little to make him less confused.

“Okay but by that logic how did Talia become queen? Should’ve Derek taken the throne after  
King Andrew was killed.”

Deaton turned to face Stiles fully. Stiles gives him his full attention and sits back down at the table.

“Normally yes. However, when his father was killed Derek was not yet of age to take on the responsibilities of a king. Normally until the heir was of age the eldest eligible male relative would serve as Regent. But Queen Talia was and still is so beloved by her people and her council she is the first Queen in Beacon’s history to solely rule without a king.”

Even though he is 99% sure of the answer to this question, he asks anyway.  
“Who would have been named Regent?”

“Well as Prince Andrew only had sisters and his father was an only child, the Queen’s brother Peter would have been named Regent.”

Stiles has to try really hard not to roll his eyes out of his skull.

“Of course he would’ve.”

Deaton lets out a small chuckle. 

“That reaction to him seems appropriate.”

Deaton puts his book down and brushes his hands on his trousers.

“Well, we have a feast we need to be getting to.”

Stiles stays seated, seemingly trying to become one with the chair.

“Is there any way I could, I don’t know, just stay here and sleep for at least two weeks?”

Deaton raises his eyebrow, making it quite evident that Stiles shouldn’t waste his time arguing.

“Okay fine but if I have another encounter with our dear Prince Derek I’m blaming you.”

Deaton shakes his head amusedly and he ushers Stiles out into the hallway before stepping out himself and shutting the door behind them.

Almost immediately after Stiles enters the banquet hall someone grabs his arm.

Stiles turns around sharply, expecting to be shoved against the nearest wall any second now, but instead, he finds Allison’s friendly face.

“Stiles! You’re here!”

Stiles flashes her a grin of his own.

“I mean Deaton didn’t give me much of a choice but here I am!”

Stiles swears that Allison’s grin somehow gets even bigger.

“Well, I’m happy you’re here. Come on there’s someone you need to meet.”

Allison leads him over to a small group of two men and a woman 

The two men are wearing maroon capes with the Hale Family Triskele on it. 

So, they are knights.

The woman amongst them is wearing a beautifully embroidered dark green dress that perfectly compliments striking strawberry blonde hair. 

Stiles, for a moment, is startled by her beauty.

Allison, however, has either not noticed or not cared enough to notice Stiles’s current predicament.

“Stiles I want you to meet Sir Mahealani, Sir Whittemore and Sir Martin, the finest knights in Beacon.”

Stiles shoots Allison a confused look but before Allison can clear up his confusion the other woman steps forward holding out her hand.

“Sir Martin, a pleasure. But you can call me Lydia.”

Stiles is still haplessly baffled.

“You’re a knight?”

All Stiles receives in return is a smirk.

“That I am. The first female knight that Beacon has ever seen. I’m not exactly the type of woman who leaves the action to the boys when I know I can just do it myself. And I’m glad that Queen Talia seemed to agree.”

Stiles just stares at her in awe.

“Wow, a true knight in shining armor.”  
That earns Stiles a smile from Sir Martin.

“Truly.”

The two men who are with Lydia finally decide that it’s time to make their presence known as the one with dark hair and chiseled features steps forward and holds out his hand.

“Sir Mahealani, but you can call me Danny.”

Stiles shakes his hand graciously.  
“Pleasure to meet you.”

The other, a handsome man with light hair and bright eyes, looks upon Stiles as if he scum under his shoe.

Lydia shoots him a look and lightly nudges him. 

This seems to propel him into action as he finally steps forward as he holds out his hand with a slight grimace on his face.

“Sir Whittemore.”

Stiles takes his hand begrudgingly, shaking his hand once before letting go and stepping backward.

“But you can call him Jackson.”

Jackson shoots Danny a glare as if the other knight has greatly betrayed him.

Stiles smiles at Danny triumphantly before he throws a smirk in Jackson’s direction.

He spares a glance around the banquet hall and spots Laura and Derek, with a younger woman who Stiles rationalized must be Princess Cora tersely speaking off to the side.

As if sensing eyes on him Derek’s head whips in his direction, a scowl firmly planted on his face. 

Stiles, wondering just how Derek managed to track him in a crowd, raises his hand in an awkward wave. Derek huffs and turns back to the conversation with his sisters. 

Stiles, slightly reeling from this one interaction taps Allison on the shoulder.

“So even though I was dragged here I’m not actually sure what this feast is celebrating.”

Allison, who was already discussing something with Lydia, turns to look at him but instead of Allison answering Lydia speaks up.

“The feast is to celebrate Prince Derek’s 21st Birthday, ergo he is now officially of age to take the throne.” 

Stiles raises his eyebrow in surprise.

“It’s his birthday? He doesn’t seem to be in a birthday mood.”

Lydia scoffs, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Does he ever? I’m pretty sure that scowl permanently lives on his face.”

Allison hits Lydia lightly on her shoulder as if she is afraid that her mistress would be offended if she heard one of the knights speaking badly of her brother.

From the one interaction that Stiles had with Princess Laura, he thinks that she would be more likely to make fun of her brother than to be offended on his behalf.

Before Stiles can respond an air of silence falls over the banquet hall. Turning his head towards the entrance Stiles sees Queen Talia has entered the hall with her brother trailing behind her. 

Just like the time Stiles saw Peter on the balcony this morning seeing the queen’s brother’s face sends a shiver down his spine. 

Even though he has been in Beacon less than a day he already knows that if there is one person that he needs to guard his secret from, it’s Peter. If he doesn’t he will be the one that ends up on that pyre.

Even though Stiles’s head is turned towards the queen he can feel Derek’s piercing gaze on the back of his head. It’s almost as if Derek thinks that Stiles was going to do something to his mother. 

Peter might have to fight his nephew on who gets to throw Stiles in a cell first. Still, Stiles would take Derek’s brooding over Peter’s well...anything any day.

As Queen Talia makes her way to the front of the banquet hall where her three children are congregated, Stiles cannot help to almost gape at her in complete awe. Meeting two of three of her children, though one experience was definitely better than the other, they couldn’t compare to seeing the true ruler of Beacon. 

Even though he was from a small village everyone knew of the legend that was Queen Talia Hale, Stiles would have never thought that he would be in her presence. 

He assumes that his gaping has become quite obvious as Allison nudges him to get his attention and as he looks away from the queen and where Allison is slyly gesturing to he is once again met by the crown prince’s glare. 

At this point, if Derek wasn’t glaring at him Stiles would actually be concerned. And it’s only been a day.

As Talia greets her children as she reaches the front of the banquet hall, where for the first time Stiles notices a grand table is set up which is likely a place of honor for the royal family.

Looking further around the hall he notices that there are tables set up in the shape of a “U” for the rest of the banquet guests. How Stiles didn’t notice the tables before he is not sure but to his credit he was a bit distracted from the moment he entered the hall.

Queen Talia stands behind a chair at the center of the head table as a girl he assumes is her maidservant swiftly pulls out her chair before the Queen takes a seat. 

This prompts her children and brother to join her, with Derek and Peter to her right and left respectively and her daughters taking both of the end seats.

The rest of the guests seem to take this as a signal to start making their way to their own seats and as Stiles doesn’t know if that includes him he sticks close to Allison who begins making her way over to Laura. 

Derek, from his spot at Laura’s side, watches him with that ever-present scowl on his face. 

Afraid of what Derek would do if he came any closer, Stiles plants himself against a wall a little ways from the head table.  
Once everyone is sat the Queen rises from her seat and silence falls through the hall.

“Welcome friends, I must thank you all for being here as we celebrate the coming-of-age of our beloved Prince Derek. We are all aware that someone very important could not be here with us on this day. King Andrew, God rest his soul, is with all of us in our hearts.”

Talia pauses to look directly at her son before continuing.

“Your father would be so proud of the man you are today.”

Derek, for his part, looked a little embarrassed to have everyone’s attention on him but still delicately lifted his mother’s hand and placed a chaste kiss on it before letting it go.

Stiles, even though he had never seen the King before his passing, knew of the legend that was King Andrew and so even he could let go of his cynical personality for a second to feel a bit choked up. 

And look, Derek did have a heart buried somewhere under all of the scowling.

Talia caressed her son's cheek before turning back to everyone gathered in the banquet hall.

“Let the feast begin.”

About 30 minutes later the hall is filled with the sounds of people conversing with each other over their plates of food as light music plays in the background. 

Stiles still stands in his place against the wall, sulking after already being yelled at by the kitchen staff when he had tried to snag a plate of food. He rubs at his hand, it still stings from when he was slapped with a wooden spoon as a warning. 

He can’t stop his gaze from traveling to the head table and sees that Derek is already watching him over his goblet of wine. Based on the smug look Stiles sees on his face, he knows that the Prince saw him be abused by a kitchen utensil. 

He can’t help but sneer in response, which prompts a scowl to return to Derek’s face. Oh, there that scowl is, Stiles had almost missed it.

The door slams open at the back of the hall and a young, beautiful woman enters. A Camelot guard accompanies her, carrying a cello.  
The guard places the cello in the center of the U-shaped tables before he quickly produces a chair. The woman smiles at him in thanks before he disperses.

Queen Talia rises from her chair once again as a hush falls over the room.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I thought that the only way to celebrate this glorious day was with some glorious entertainment. Please welcome Lady Paige, the without a doubt best cellist across the five kingdoms. She was gracious enough to be here today, so please give her your full attention.”

Talia gracefully sits down in her chair and nods for Lady Paige to begin.

Lady Paige bows respectfully to the Queen before taking her seat and picking up her bow.

As she begins to play a beautiful soft tune falls over the hall, after a few seconds of playing Lady Paige begins to sing in a language Stiles has never heard before.

She lifts her head up from watching her cello and her gaze bores into Derek, as the prince lets out a yawn, almost involuntary.

Stiles’s eyes sweep around the room as he realizes that Derek is not the only one that appears to be sleepy. Some are already letting sleep overcome them as their heads fall towards the table.

From his place against the wall, Stiles can see the pure intensity that is in Paige’s eyes as Derek, along with the rest of the royal family, begins to nod off. 

Stiles moves to cover his ears as it becomes pretty apparent to him that what Paige is singing isn’t an ordinary song.

Paige, with her gaze still not moving from Derek moves her cello to the side and rises from her chair as she begins to walk closer to the table as she continues on with the enchantment. 

Cobwebs have begun to form on the sleeping parties as Stiles makes his way along the wall inching closer to the head table, moving as silently as possible and counting his lucky stars that Paige hasn’t noticed him yet.

From her dress, Paige pulls out a large dagger. With her eyes still locked on Derek, it is quite obvious to Stiles what she plans to do with it. 

Almost completely on instinct, he looks up at the ceiling and his eyes glow gold.  
Immediately, the chandelier is unlatched and it crashes towards the ground, crushing Lady Paige underneath it and in the process finally stopping her song.

Stiles looks around as the people begin to stir including the Prince who immediately starts to try and clear the cobwebs from around him and his mother. 

Stiles, who is now right next to the table, lets out a sigh of relief and finally drops his hands from his ears.

Laura raises an eyebrow at him when she sees he was unaffected and Derek sends a death glare his way, almost as if he thinks Stiles had anything to do with this.

And to think Stiles just saved his life, asshole.

A gasp sounds from the floor as Stiles looks down at Lady Paige. However, in Lady Paige’s place lies an old woman, the same woman that Stiles saw crying over her dead son at the pyre this morning. 

Suddenly, her target of Derek makes a lot more sense.

The old woman lets out a wheeze before speaking.

“A son for a son.” 

Before anyone can react she grabs the dagger from the floor in front of her and throws it with all her strength towards the Prince’s chest. 

Stiles immediately pushes away from his place on the wall and grabs Derek’s arm, pulling him to the floor seconds before the dagger embeds itself in his now vacant chair, exactly where his heart was a second ago.

Derek lands on top of Stiles’s chest and the Prince stares at him in shock, before he turns his head to look at his chair.

Laura leaps out of her chair and helps her brother to his feet as Allison follows her mistresses lead and moves to help Stiles.

On the floor the witch lets out one final breath as she succumbs, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.  
Queen Talia, who at that point was still frozen in shock in her seat, finally snaps out of it and stands abruptly, the momentum sending her chair crashing to the floor. 

She rushes over to her son to make sure he is unharmed, grabbing his face and checking for injuries. After coddling her son for a few moments her head whips around to Stiles, who is again standing next to Allison against the wall. 

“You saved my son’s life.”

Stiles is momentarily struck speechless as he can not believe that the Queen was actually speaking directly to him.

“I-”

Talia continues to press on.

“You saved my son’s life. You shall be rewarded for your bravery. Tell me, young man, just what  
is your name.”

Stiles finally finds his voice as he pushes a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact out of respect and a little bit of fear.

“Uh- Stiles, your majesty. And please my deed does not need to be rewarded.”

“Nonsense.”

A new voice chimes in as Peter moves to stand next to his sister.

“You saved Prince Derek’s life from that wretched sorceress and you shall be rewarded as such.”

He turns to address his sister specifically.

“My dear sister, may I offer a suggestion to what Stiles’s reward should be.”

Talia nods in confirmation as Stiles turns his head to look at Derek who has moved to stand beside him.

“This deed requires an award with high honor. And such you shall be given a place in the royal household.”  
Peter moves closer to Queen Talia and whispers in her ear. Talia smiles and nods in response before speaking.

“Stiles you shall be appointed Derek’s manservant.”

Stiles can’t help but feel absolutely stunned, as Derek lets out an indignant shout of “Mother!”

Talia smiles at her son and caresses his cheek while Derek tries and fails to escape the contact as the hall bursts into applause.

She smiles at her son and moves away from the table to make sure everyone else in the hall is alright.

Laura lets out a snort at Derek’s other side, obviously very amused by the proceedings unfolding out before her.

“Derek, you should be happy. Stiles is the third manservant you’ve had all year, and it's May.”

Derek sends a death glare at his sister before turning his glare at his uncle, who watches on with a smirk on his face. Stiles can’t help his immediate reaction to narrow his eyes at him. 

This bastard knew exactly what he was doing with that suggestion.

Derek scowls once again at Stiles before he stalks off after his mother with Cora and Peter following after him. 

Stiles looks on as he feels someone nudge him in the side. Laura apparently wasn’t done with the teasing.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Derek actually has a really sweet side to him if you get past all of the grumpy layers.”

Stiles can’t help but let out a scoff.

“I won’t hold my breath.”

Laura lets out a laugh and squeezes Stiles’s shoulder briefly before she follows after the rest of her family, with Allison following behind her who sends Stiles a pitying look over her shoulder. 

Stiles lets out a breath as he watches her walk off. Deaton suddenly appears at his side out of nowhere, which causes Stiles to jump at least a foot in the air in shock.

“Where did you come from?!”

Deaton eyes him skeptically before he speaks.

“I came from my seat Mieczysław, but it seems like you were too distracted by the Princess to notice.”

He can’t help the small blush from appearing on his cheeks once he realizes he was caught.

Deaton eyes the rest of the room as he places a hand on the same shoulder Laura had a few minutes previously.

“I think we had enough spectacle for today, would you agree?”

Stiles nods weakly as Deaton starts to guide him through the hall and towards the doors as they begin to head back to Deaton’s chambers.

Stiles sits at the table, gazing blankly into the flame of the candle. Deaton putters around in the small kitchen behind him, preparing Stiles some soup. 

With everything that happened in the last hour Stiles had forgotten that he never got a chance to eat. Soon after a bowl is placed in front of him, which breaks him out of his trance.

“Eat up.”

Deaton sits in the chair across from him as Stiles almost mindlessly lifts the spoon to his mouth.  
Once the taste actually reaches his tongue he quickly spits it back out into the bowl.

Deaton for his part looks unfazed.

“Is there something wrong with my soup Mieczysław?”

Stiles puts the bowl down and pushes it away from himself subtly.

“Uh-, no nothing is wrong. Turns out that I am really not hungry.”

As if right on cue his stomach growls, and Stiles tries to hide it with a cough.

Deaton raises an eyebrow, seeing right through his excuse.

“I apologize that my cooking skills are not on par with my medical skills, I was always quite hopeless in the kitchen. No matter, I will send for dinner to be brought to my chambers for you.”

Deaton rises from his chair and goes towards the door as Stiles pushes the bowl of soup further away from him on the table before he crosses his arms.

A few minutes later, Deaton returns to his chambers and reclaims his seat.

“Thankfully a serving girl happened to be leaving another chamber down the hall, your dinner should be arriving shortly.”

Stiles lets out a grunt of thanks before rubbing his hand over his face, his first day in Beacon has been quite eventful.

“It seems you are quite a hero. You must be quite proud of yourself. And being Derek’s manservant is a great privilege.”

Stiles snorts in response.

“I’m not sure waiting hand and foot on a spoiled prince is a privilege but whatever helps you sleep at night. Besides I used magic, I’m not sure Queen Talia and especially not Peter would appreciate that minute detail.”

Deaton lets out a small chuckle before looking Stiles in the eye.

“Mieczysław, why do you think you came to Beacon?”

Stiles shrugs.

“Because my dad gave me little to no choice?”

Deaton shakes his head in amusement.

“There is a prophecy that the druids have spoken about for centuries. In short, a powerful warlock and the Once and Future King will work hand and hand to unite the Five Kingdoms and magic will flourish throughout the lands.”

“Cool story but what exactly does this have to do with me?”

Deaton raises an eyebrow at Stiles’s interruption but presses forward.

“Have you ever wondered why every other sorcerer had to study magic for many years before being able to cast a single spell, but you were using magic before you could even talk?”

Stiles eyes him curiously but chooses not to interrupt.

“The Once and Future King they speak of in this prophecy is the future King Derek of Beacon.”

Stiles can’t help but roll his eyes at that statement and let out a mocking laugh.

“Are you sure they got that right? Are we talking about the same Derek? Is the Derek that I know an imposter sent to dismantle the royal family from within while the real Prince Derek is locked away in the dungeon?”

Deaton puts his hand up and Stiles takes that as a warning and shuts up.

“I can assure you that they haven’t gotten the prophecy wrong and that Derek is the real Derek. And I can tell you that the warlock they speak of will never be far from Derek’s side.”

His gaze pierces Stiles and the true meaning of his words becomes clear.

“Are you talking about me?”

Deaton remains silent as Stiles pushes back from his chair and immediately starts pacing the floor.

“Okay, so there is no way they got this right! I hate Derek! Well, hate might be a strong word but he definitely hates me and if he even knew about my magic he would probably throw me in the pyre the first chance he got!”

“Stiles if you are quite finished I would appreciate it if you sat back down.”

Stiles lets out a huff but sits back down.

“I admit that your relationship with Derek has gotten off on the wrong foot, but without even thinking about your own safety you threw yourself into danger just to save his life, even when you only met him today. What was going through your head at that moment?”

Stiles shrugs and looks away as he pulls his knees up to his chin and balances himself on the chair.

“I don’t know, but I knew that Derek had to live.”

Deaton nods in understanding.

“As the future king of Beacon Derek will face many threats, both magical and non-magical. As his manservant, you will be by his side at almost all times protecting him in your own way. I do advise you to keep your magic a secret from Derek at least for the time being as while I don’t think his reaction would be as rash as Peter’s could, you two need to learn how to trust each other and work together.”

Stiles has almost blacked out at this point, too busy thinking how bizarre it is that Stiles’s help might be the only way to get Derek to the throne safely.

Deaton, as if sensing that Stiles’s attention was now elsewhere, rises from his chair and moves closer to the door, a second later a knock is heard.

He opens the door and thanks the serving girl who hands him Stiles’s dinner. He walks back over to the table and places the plate in front of him.

“Eat up and then you better try and get some sleep, you have your first day of work in the morning.”

Stiles groans but begins to dig into his meal gratefully.

While he eats he can’t quite shake a weird feeling that he has, that if Stiles thought that his first day in Beacon was eventful it would be nothing compared to what lies in front of him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this! I have a basic outline of where I want this to go but I'm still not sure how much I want to rely on Merlin's canon. Anyway! Please leave comments on how I'm doing so far, I haven't written a fic in over 2 years and feel a bit out of practice. Also, I apologize if there's a formatting problem, let me know and I'll try to fix it later but honestly, I gave up with the line spacing.


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